See the Cast of 'Basic Instinct' Then and Now See the Cast of 'Basic Instinct' Then and Now April 23, 2014 @ 6:00 PM TriStar Back in 1992, director Paul Verhoeven unleashed 'Basic Instinct,' starring Sharon Stone as a writer, psychologist, and the prime suspect in a murder investigation, who strikes up an affair with the detective investigating the case, played by Michael Douglas. Originally given an NC-17 rating by the MPAA, the steamy thriller was a massive success and was praised for its groundbreaking depiction of sex in mainstream cinema. 'Basic Instinct' became so iconic that in 2006, Sharon Stone starred in a sequel without Verhoeven's involvement -- though it was a critical and commercial failure. Twenty-two years later, we're revisiting the cast of this modern neo-noir classic to see what they're up to now. Michael Douglas, Detective Nick Curran TriStar/Getty Images Then: Michael Douglas, who was coming off of starring roles in 'Fatal Attraction' and 'Wall Street,' played Detective Nick Curran, who begins an affair with his prime suspect while investigating the death of a retired rock star.

Now: Over the years, Douglas has also starred in 'Falling Down,' 'The Game,' 'Traffic,' and he reprised the role of Gordon Gekko for 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.' In recent years, he's appeared in the Steven Soderbergh films 'Haywire' and 'Behind the Candelabra,' winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of Liberace in the latter. He's been married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000, and most recently appeared in the film 'Last Vegas.' Up next, you can see Douglas in the films 'And So It Goes,' 'The Reach,' and opposite Paul Rudd in Marvel's upcoming superhero movie 'Ant-Man.' Sharon Stone, Catherine Tramell TriStar/Getty Images Then: Sharon Stone, who was best known for appearing previously in Paul Verhoeven's 'Total Recall,' reunited with the director for the role of Catherine Tramell, an author and psychologist accused of committing murder in a fashion eerily similar to the circumstances in one of her novels.

Now: Stone went on to appear in films like 'Sliver,' 'The Quick and the Dead,' 'Casino,' 'Catwoman,' and 'Alpha Dog.' In 2006, she reprised the role of Tramell for 'Basic Instinct 2,' which was made without the involvement of Verhoeven and totally flopped, earning her a Razzie Award for Worst Actress. In 2010, Stone appeared on a handful of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episodes, and more recently, she's had roles in 'Lovelace' and 'Fading Gigolo.' You can see her next in the upcoming film 'Gods Behaving Badly,' and later in 'American Ultra' with Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. George Dzundza, Detective Gus Moran TriStar/ABC Then: George Dzundza played Detective Gus Moran, Nick's partner on the case.

Dzundza previously had a recurring role on 'Law and Order' and appeared in the film 'The Butcher's Wife.' Now: Since then, Dzundza has lent his voice to both 'Batman: The Animated Series' and 'Superman: The Animated Series,' and he had a recurring role on 'Grey's Anatomy' (pictured above right) from 2005 to 2007. He's also appeared in the films 'Crimson Tide,' 'Dangerous Minds,' 'Species II,' and 'City by the Sea.' In 2009, he lent his voice to the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, and in 2010, he appeared in the Rob Schneider film 'The Chosen One,' but he hasn't done anything lately. Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dr. Beth Garner TriStar/Getty Images Then: Jeanne Tripplehorn made her big screen debut as Dr. Beth Garner, Nick's psychologist with whom he's also having an affair. Tripplehorn had also appeared on Ben Stiller's short-lived 'The Ben Stiller Show' on Fox.

Now: The actress had a small role in Stiller's directorial debut, 'Reality Bites,' and went on to star in 'Waterworld,' 'Sliding Doors,' 'Very Bad Things,' and 'Swept Away.' But she's perhaps best known for playing the role of Barbara Henrickson on the HBO series 'Big Love,' which ran from 2006 to 2011. She also played Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the HBO film 'Grey Gardens,' and has recently guest starred on 'New Girl.' Currently, Tripplehorn stars on the TV series 'Criminal Minds.' Leilani Sarelle, Roxanne Hardy TriStar/Getty Images Then: Leilani Sarelle, who previously appeared in 'Days of Thunder' with Tom Cruise, played Roxanne Hardy, Catherine's lesbian lover. Now: Sarelle also appeared in the '90s films 'The Harvest' and 'Breach of Trust,' and in a couple of made-for-TV movies before taking a break from acting for a while.

She resurfaced in the aughts, appearing on shows like 'The Unit,' 'The Mentalist,' and 'Glee,' and has appeared in the films 'For the Love of Money' and '5 Hour Friends.' From 1991 to 2003, she was married to actor Miguel Ferrer, who starred in Paul Verhoeven's 'RoboCop.' Chelcie Ross, Captain Talcott TriStar/Getty Images Then: Chelcie Ross played police Captain Talcott. Ross was previously known for roles in 'Major League,' 'The Last Boy Scout,' and 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.' Now: Ross went on to star in 'Rudy,' 'A Simple Plan,' 'The Gift,' 'The Majestic,' and 'Drag Me to Hell.' Nowadays, he's also well known for playing Conrad Hilton on 'Mad Men' back in season 3.

More recently, he's starred in the films 'The Dilemma,' 'At Any Price,' and 'Trouble with the Curve.' Wayne Knight, John Correli TriStar/Getty Images Then: Wayne Knight played John Correli, the man who administers the lie detector test to Catherine during the film's most infamous scene. Knight had previously appeared in the films 'Dirty Dancing' and 'JFK,' and in 1992, he had just started his run on 'Seinfeld' as Jerry's recurring nemesis, Newman. Now: Knight's also been known for his roles in 'Jurassic Park,' 'Heat,' and 'Space Jam,' and for lending his voice to the role of Al, the owner of Al's Toy Barn in Pixar's 'Toy Story 2.' He played Newman on 'Seinfeld' until the show ended in 1998, and he also starred on the sitcom '3rd Rock from the Sun' as Don Orville, a cop and boyfriend of Kristen Johnston's character.

Knight guest starred on 'Seinfeld' creator Larry David's HBO series 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' and currently stars on the TV Land series 'The Exes.' This year, he reprised the role of Newman for an episode of Jerry Seinfeld's web series 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.' Basic Instinct Movie Review Review this title! What's the story? This over-the-top murder mystery features a bisexual blonde bombshell that may or may not be murdering people with an ice pick. Sharon Stone plays author Catherine Trammell with exuberance, adding a layer of irony to the stereotypical femme fatale role. Her foil, San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), is enchanted with her and starts drinking, smoking, and snorting cocaine as he copes with his feelings for a woman who is likely a murderess. Is it any good? QUALITY A familiar scenario -- poor put-upon cop and his deadly, beautiful seducer -- is played to the hilt here. BASIC INSTINCT is nothing if not a hardboiled mystery movie taken through the roof with more sex, drugs, and bloody stabbings than are appropriate for younger viewers (or even many older viewers, for that matter).

It also suffers from an overuse of stereotypes. The film's treatment of female characters become (more) offensive when the detective manipulates, beats, and degrades Dr. Garner. This female character is devoted to him and risks her well-being to protect him from an overzealous police commission, even as Nick humiliates her at work and in the bedroom. Catherine Trammell's lesbian relationship is mostly ignored in favor of depicting her bedroom romps with the detective. Nevertheless, it's hard to overlook the film's use of the murderous lesbian stereotype because Catherine and her girlfriend are murder suspects throughout. The twisty-turny plot is enough to make this a compelling enough movie, yet a reliance on sex and violence clutters it. Families can talk about... Families can talk about the choices that Detective Curran makes in the film. How might his drinking and drug use have influenced his decision-making? Families might also discuss Detective Curran's relationship with Dr. Garner. Did he treat her fairly? Was she right to risk her job for him? Parents could also talk about the depiction of Catherine Trammell. Do you think she "did it"? Do you think she cared about the detective or was just manipulating him?

Movie details Jeanne Tripplehorn Biography Edit Delete Edit Cancel . . . Biography American actress Jeanne Tripplehorn was born on June 10, 1963 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She got her interest in performing after her father, Tom Tripplehorn, who was a guitarist for Gary Lewis and the Playboys at one point. After graduating from high school, she got her start as a radio DJ, using the handle “Jeanie Summers,” and later moved on to hosting local television shows. She eventually studied at the University of Tulsa, before deciding to pursue an acting career; she then trained at the Juilliard School of Drama in New York City. Tripplehorn made her acting debut in 1991, when she played one of the leads in the television movie The Perfect Tribute. The following year, she starred in the controversial crime thriller Basic Instinct, playing police psychiatrist Beth Garner, who was in a turbulent relationship with detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas). A bigger break for her, however, was another thriller film, The Firm.

She played the role of Abigail McDeere, the wife of protagonist Mitch (Tom Cruise); she took over the role from Robin Wright Penn, who was pregnant at the time. The film established her as a bankable actress, and earned her roles in other major films such as Waterworld, Mickey Blue Eyes and Steal This Movie. Tripplehorn occasionally appeared on television, making appearances on The Ben Stiller Show—Ben Stiller was her boyfriend then—and Mr. Show with Bob and David. Her first major television role was in the acclaimed drama Big Love, which revolves around a polygamous husband (Bill Paxton) and his three wives. She played the first wife, Barbara Henrickson, who followed her husband into polygamy. She is also acclaimed for her performances on stage, having appeared in the off-Broadway production of The Big Funk, and the Broadway production of The Three Sisters. She was also part of The Guys, a play which paid tribute to New York’s firefighters working during the 9/11 attacks.

Basic Instinct Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 28 December 2016 6:33 PM, PST NEWS 152 out of 199 people found the following review useful: What A Film! 18 September 2001 This is one of my favorite films, even though it has some problems. The film caused controversy with some of the gay crowd (who didn't like the negative press) and for the graphic sex (with bedroom violence). It became a box office winner, that made Sharon Stone a star, and yet was basically p****d on by the critics! The word is the film is better than your average B movie skin flick, only by the quality of the actors, and Verhoeven's ability. I feel the film is still not given the respect it's due. I first saw the R-rated version, which is very good, but now you can get the even better Unrated Director's Cut, which has even more graphic content! If you don't like erotic-thrillers, then don't see it. But anyone with taste will enjoy the thrill ride of events that take place in Basic Instinct.

The script by Joe Eszterhas was highly thought of in Hollywood, and if not for the graphic nudity, a top star like Michelle Pfeiffer would have taken the role made famous by Sharon stone. Does the script go too far at times? Yes, but that's part of the films charm, and after all, the now 'classic film moment' of Sharon Stone's leg spread interrogation, likely would have been dropped in a conventional film. Still though, I wouldn't have minded seeing a few less people getting killed off, to keep even more suspense and realism. The score is also beautiful, and fans of Hitchcock's great "Vertigo" can appreciate the homage that Paul Verhoeven has included. The film has a lot of eye candy, but Jeanne Tripplehorn deserves special mention for her impressive supporting role (sadly she hasn't done much of note since). Michael Douglas does a solid job also, but I can't help wondering if a better actor like Clint Eastwood could have brought more to the table. The dialogue is not up to the level of "Pulp Fiction", but it's still interesting and fun. I highly recommend this film for fans of adult mystery. Was the above review useful to you?

129 out of 166 people found the following review useful: Thriller which achieves screen magic of the golden age. from Ontario, Canada 27 September 2001 Paul Verhoeven has created a masterwork from Joe Eszterhas' controversial script. Several sex scenes become a leitmotif, as the participants appear to pummel, rather than love, one another with their nether parts. But the most rugged and the most erotic scene occurs between Detective Nick Curran, Michael Douglas, and his colleague, Beth Garner, portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn. He throws her against a wall and then against the back of a chesterfield. That is only the foreplay. In this film sex is violence, and that is Verhoeven's theme. But there is more. Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell has a beautiful blonde form in that Beach Boy / California girl manner. She plays her 'flashing' scene in the police interrogation room with wit and a touch of class. Throughout the film she is arch, intelligent, electric. Her foil, Nick Curran, a troubled detective, realizes she might be a murderer, but finds her personality and her allure, irresistible.

Douglas' performance is driven, masculine, affecting ... yet he would be well advised to keep his trousers on henceforth, for his sagging bottom is simply too comical. There are several echoes of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (58). Both pictures have as a setting the picturesque San Francisco area. Jerry Goldsmith's music recalls Bernard Herrmann's symphonic score. The stairwell in Curran's apartment building resembles the vertiginous staircase of the Mission bell tower. And as with Hitchcock the dialogue is often simultaneously risque and humorous, although more vulgar in keeping with the tenor of modern times. Eszterhas' script is carefully crafted, and it does not cheat. Life proves ambiguous at many levels, and so does art. The mystery is dark; the action, including a car chase, thrills; and the locale continually shifts, from a cop station to Catherine's lovely seaside house to a colorful bar where Catherine's jealous female lover and Curran engage in a sensual battle for her charms. Day, night, sun, rain, streets, highways, scenery, ocean, sex, emotion, confrontations, death ... the film envelops everything, perhaps even love.

Here, Verhoeven, Eszterhas, Douglas, Stone, have achieved some screen magic of the past. Was the above review useful to you? 88 out of 110 people found the following review useful: Finding the identity of a killer is always fascinating, no matter what you're watching... 18 July 2005 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Everyone who has seen the film, discover that the story runs into an intense sexual chess game between a San Francisco detective ('But you said you liked men to use their hands.') and a vivid writer ('No. I said I liked Johnny to use his hands.') Catherine (Sharon Stone) loves coke and Jack Daniel's... She is enigmatic ('How does it feel to kill someone?'), cool ('I like men who give me pleasure.'), frank ("What are you going to do? Charge me with smoking?") penetrating ("I've always had a fondness for white silk scarves"'), in complete command of herself... Her character holds men in her grip... To each uncrossing of legs, she masters every type of attraction...

Catherine is a bisexual heiress, who teases, tempts and commands She refuses to let us know that she's a true threat... She creates one of the classic Femme Fatale by leading us up to twist after twist, weaving outcomes of situations to her advantage... Nick (Michael Douglas) is the vice cop who drinks, and does a little cocaine He accidentally shot two tourists in the line of duty... He is a troubled policeman who knows all about homicidal impulse... He is torn between two skilled women at psychology... One of the women is an evil manipulator... We can sense that Nick knows which one is the supposed killer... Nick insists he will be strong enough to take her down... The third intriguing character of Verhoeven's "Basic Instinct" is Roxy (Leilani Sarell). She is Catherine's lesbian lover... Roxy is the menacing blonde of the black Ferrari, who seems not to get jealous, but to get excited... We see her wearing pants and a jacket, and dancing with another woman... Roxy let Nick sees Catherine with two men, one of them is a big, body-built black guy... And there is another interesting character who deserves wide attention: the police psychologist who helps Catherine understand homicidal impulse...

Dr. Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn) is a very good-looking, dark-haired woman, who has been involved in a love affair with a policeman... Basic Instinct's photography borrows a range of angles from Hitchcock... The score, by Jerry Goldsmith, is wonderful... The film is wildly considered a controversial and popular erotic thriller... Was the above review useful to you? 102 out of 139 people found the following review useful: sleazy, amoral and worryingly entertaining Author: Jagged-11 3 August 2003 How does one begin a review of what is arguably the most controversial movie of the 90's? Perhaps I should start by saying that although Basic Instinct is complete trash with nothing residing beneath its glitzy surface(despite the claims of Camille Paglia there are NO subliminal meanings and the phallic symbolism of the ice pick is purely coincidental) it's also a riveting psychological thriller with Doublas and Stone providing an impressive double in a refreshingly gripping film.

I will not go deeply into plot detail, as the story is practically part of hollywood folklore, but in summary volatile cop Nick Curran(Michael Douglas) falls in love with murder suspect Catherine Trammell(Sharon Stone) who may,or may not, have brutally murdered her lover with an ice pick. If the plot sounds familiar its probably due to the fact that Basic Instinct is essentially a combination of writer Joe Eszthera's film 'Jagged Edge' and director Paul Verhoeven's film 'The Fourth Man', both of which had their fair share of sex and fashionable violence. Despite this Basic Instinct still is enjoyable and having seen either of those films will have no affect on the unpredictability of the film. At the centre of the film is Stone's performance which is actually quite superb(though in the long run this film's been more of a curse than a blessing to her film career)as although she's easily the least probable femme fatale ever to grace(or poison to be more accurate) the silver screen, Stone plays her with such zeal that we can't take our eyes off her.

That said it should also be pointed out that she becomes rather less intriguing after the first 40 minutes when she becomes involved with Michael Douglas, as her character loses a great deal of her mystique and her personality has less bite. Then of course is the infamous scene (which practically every other reviewer has mentioned and I am going to be no exception) where Tramell is being interrogated by the police and coolly turns the tables on them by exploiting their libidos and reducing them to drooling idiots, totally ridiculous but easily the film's best scene and certainly one that is not going to be soon forgotten (no doubt to the chagrin of Sharon Stone). The rest of the cast are fine, with Michael Douglas doing the character he does best(the rather thuggish white male who constantly gets involved with the wrong kind of woman), Jeanne Tripplehorn doing an adequate job as Nick's pyschologist and George Dzunda manages to be the only half-way likable character in the movie as Curran's best(and only)friend. Unfortunately Leilani Sarelle is under-used as Catherine Trammell's enigmatic girlfriend(I forgot to mention Catherine's Bi-sexual). The film is, of course, not without flaws.

No-one (not even the director) could deny that Basic Instinct has such big plot holes you could park a car in them as for some of the events in the film to make sense characters would need to be either clairvoyant or in possession of other-worldly powers. The endings also a bit of a cop out (no I WON'T reveal it) as it was clearly engineered so that it could be easily changed with a single edit if preview audiences were unsatisfied with it. It is also impossible to ignore the huge controversey that surrounded the films release with a particulair furor being caused by feminists and lesbians over their portrayal in the film. In truth the jury's still out on wether Basic Instinct is homophobic, but I personally don't think it is as the characters' sexuality is never really an issue although in fairness it is used as a somewhat cheap plot device to titillate the audience. The case made by feminists is much stronger as all the women in the film are portrayed as dubious and potentially dangerous. The main defence against all this is that, frankly, all the characters are unpleasent and devious , with perhaps one exception, and no discrimination is given in any way.

The other issue was, of course, the sex scenes which ,although explicit, are really rather passé these days. The film is stylishly filmed, expertly paced, brilliantly directed and has a superb music score from Jerrry Goldsmith. I'll give it a high score(by my standards) of 8 out of 10 Was the above review useful to you? 111 out of 169 people found the following review useful: the sexiest movie ever made from Toronto, Ontario 16 June 1999 You know a movie achieves its objective when you think that a character is sexier than the person that plays her. That is exactly what Catherine Tremell does. She exudes sex and that is exactly her game. She knows that she can play with people's minds by using her beauty and her sex appeal. And she does it so well. The epitome of this is the interrogation scene. Much has been made about nudity in film but this is one of those movies where every breast and every shot of someone's crotch is done so to further the plot. The famous scene that we have all witnessed now is a major part of Tremell's M.O.

She knows there are a room full of men asking her questions and she uses that sexuality to play with them. And it works. The cast and the script and the direction are top notch and the movie feels like it is one big game. And Catherine Tremell is the ultimate game master. I really loved this film and I rate it a perfect ten. Was the above review useful to you? 71 out of 104 people found the following review useful: Great thriller which constantly gets reduced to it's nude scenes Author: sposocke 1 February 2005 The title says it all, this is one great thriller which I rate higher than "Se7en" or similar apparently top notch films in this category. It has loads of suspense, high tension, catchy and memorable dialogues, great actors, fabulous music score and an excellent director who didn't get scared off by protesters and other hypocrites. And yes, they are hypocrites in my mind, people who watch this movie are meant to be mature, thus denying sex is either hypocritical or prudish. If that's not your thing okay, then don't watch it but don't rate it low just because you can't handle it.

Because the sex scenes are really just a few minutes long (I'm European and they're really aren't that strong) but make up a large part of Catherine's character and are a fundamental part of the plot. The film would be unthinkable without them but shouldn't be reduced to them either. Naturally don't watch it with your kids, but if you're not scared of some nudity and like thrillers you'll love this one since it keeps one on the edge right until the end. Was the above review useful to you? 54 out of 74 people found the following review useful: Classic Verhoeven from Calgary, Alberta 1 November 2002 Paul Verhoeven is one of my favorite directors. His movies are so damn entertaining. They always, well I should say most of the time, have wit and intelligence [Forget 'Showgirls' and 'Hollow Man', any director can make mistakes] and have either graphic sex or violence or both. 'Basic Instinct' is in the latter category. It is so erotic and Stone and Douglas have so much sexual chemistry that when you look at an Adrian Lyne film, you see them for the crap they are.

Basic plotline has Stone's character, 'Catherine Tramell', accused of the vicious sex murder of a retired rock and roll star. Douglas's character has a strange attraction to her, which may not lead to good things..... Paul Verhoven has openly admitted that this film is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock's classic masterpiece 'Vertigo'. In fact, Stone wears, in sequence, the same wardrobe as Kim Novak did [which makes you wonder, was she wearing panties under her clothes]. That brings us to the interrogation scene, which is the best in the movie. Stone shamelessly flirts with the cops' libidos until the buildup of sexual tension is so great, Stone releases it by playing 'peek-a-boo' with the space in between her legs. Every male viewer cherishes that scene, simply because it is so sexy. That word can be used throughout the film, as Stone and Douglas do the mattress mumbo. At the time, the sex scenes were so realistic that the press went wild and debated whether or not viewers were witnessing un-simulated sex. The film is still quite sexually daring today and has an intriguing spider's web plot too.

The plot's twists and turns manage to make the movie sexier as the viewer wonders whether Sharon is innocent or guilty.......... The film's only misstep occurs at the end, with an unsatisfactory ending that makes the whole film seem like some stupid, contrived game. But it's not. It keeps it's fascination and it's sexiness and its suspense right up till the end, which is what a good erotic thriller should. Actually, the ending for some will lead to a lot of discussion if you watch the film with someone, as the film toys with two of the film's characters innocence or guilt and does not give up all its secrets..... The film is great Verhoeven. It has his usual, hilarious, seemingly inappropriate kinky humor and extreme sex and violence to match. The fact that Verhoeven is actually able to balance the film and make it funny and sexy is wonderful film-making. Well, have I said 'sexy' enough times? Then go rent it.........8/10 P.S. If you like this one, check out Verhoevens' Dutch film ''The Fourth Man''. It has a similar plot and even a similar character that resembles Catherine Tramell.

If the ending of 'Basic Instinct' leaves you wanting, check that film out. It is even better than 'Basic' and is more 'arty'. It is also a little bit more daring erotically. Was the above review useful to you? 60 out of 87 people found the following review useful: A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger. from Hamilton, Australia 31 January 2002 The 90's was a decade that was blessed with many great movies, yet there are none greater than that of Basic Instinct. It is a truly great film. With Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone heading a wonderful cast, this was one of the great thriller movies I can remember watching. It had everything a movie could want, a bit of mystery, sex, intrigue and murder. There will need to be a pretty good movie to replace this classic from the top as one of the greatest all-time thrillers. Nick Curran is a disgraced San Francisco police detective who helps investigate the murder of a prominent city official. Curran has a history of alcoholism and drug abuse although he is clean now.

Catherine Tramell, the chief suspect, a spoiled rich girl with a background in psychology is toying with Curran's mind. When Curran is taken off the case, he enters into a dangerous relationship with Tramell, which could have bad implications. Soon everyone Curran comes into contact with turns into a suspect. Undoubtedly, this movie is most famous for it's high level sex scenes that it contains. While I did enjoy them, they are overrated just a fraction. I must admit Sharon Stone has an incredible body and she certainly knows all the moves. These scenes also turned Michael Douglas into a sex manic of sorts and partially ruined his first marriage to Diandra Luker. Yet they create quite a mood for this film and are the main reason why it was the success it was. The cast was great in this too. Michael Douglas is a Hollywood legend and this film only made him even more popular. His role as a the down and out cop was great. Douglas has some great films to his credit. These include Romancing the Stone, Fatal Attraction (not to similar to Basic Instinct), A Perfect Murder, and of recent Traffic (alongside his second wife Catherine Zeta Jones) and Don't say a word.

Then what do you say about Sharon Stone? Before this film she was virtually an unknown, then she stormed on to our screens, without letting audiences take a breathe. Her film credits include The quick and the dead, Total Recall and The Specialist. Other cast members include Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played Curran's ex-wife and Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Garner. Her role made me feel very anxious to realise what was going to happen. The sex scene involving her was a little hard to take. Then you have the good guy of the film, Gus, played by George Dzundza, but the way we see him go is also too much to handle. One other actress I did recognise, was Leilani Saralle, who played one of Catherine Tramell's gay lover's, Roxy. Basic Instinct had a very good director, that being Paul Verhoven. He made this film extremely well and any other director might have got it wrong. He has made some other good films including Robo Cop, Starship Troopers and Total Recall. He did do one big flop, that being Showgirls. He commented on that film by saying `I think it was bad too'. I am sorry Paul, but you were right.

Basic Intinct's script was pretty good in how it left you dangling. It was like you were in a big game of cat and mouse. I can understand that some people might not like it for that reason, but I thought it was good. The movie also had a great musical score attached to it, giving the movie a chilling feel to it. So, all in all Basic Instinct is a film that I will always remember. It was so controversial that where I come from, I remember people needed to show there ID to get into the local cinemas, because of its sexual and violent content. I don't blame the cinemas for doing so, because it is not suitable for young eyes to see. If you want to watch a great thriller, then sit down and watch Basic Instinct. Trust me its nice'! Rating: 5 stars or 10/10 Was the above review useful to you? 60 out of 87 people found the following review useful: It'll Wear Ya Out from USA 30 March 2001 It'll wear ya out. Those were the words uttered by an old guy who was walking out of Basic Instinct that I overheard.

A woman asked if the film we just saw was any good and that's what he answered. I did feel worn out by the experience of seeing this film. It was a first rate crackerjack erotic thriller. A triple degree black belt in modern movie thriller cinema. Dutch director Paul Verhoeven proves himself to be a first rate filmmaking madman with this monster work. Sharon Stone became one of my fave rave movie stars after the release of this flick. All her other work has pretty much been second rate. And Mikey Douglas once again pushes the envelope in Hollywood where everything these days must be safe and non-offensive. This is badass dangerous filmmaking, daddy-o, and it's apart of what I call The Evil Three. The Evil Three Of Filmmaking. Or the the three sexual films that really p***ed a lot of people off. The Evil Three consists of: Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal. Too bad Mike didn't play Redford's part in Proposal. That woulda REALLY honked those uptight squares off. And don't listen to the stiffs who hated this film because of its so called negative portrayals of lesbians.

I think most intelligent folk knew before going to see this movie that most lesbians don't have a thing for ice picks and crotchless underwear. A word to the wiseguy... Was the above review useful to you? 53 out of 77 people found the following review useful: More than just sex scenes! from Marlow, England 23 July 2004 Sure its dirty minded, and extremely violent, but underneath all of Paul Verhoevens trademark sleaze there is a great film noir thriller to be seen. The film has a sense of an old 40's or 50's film noir, but of course with the 90's boundaries in taste and graphic nudity. The story is quite involving and there are plenty of twists and turns and unresolved endings. Michael Douglas is good in his role and must have really enjoyed film shagging Jean Tripplehorn and Sharon Stone, while it is Stone who steals the show as the writer Catherine, whose books write about murders that are apparently being copied by a murdering female. Its very steamy but the cinematography and the score are all very good and the film is more clever than merely T&A.

It is a film that has spawned many inferior clones, usually TV movies starring melon chested playboy queen Shannon Tweed. **** Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 30: FILM - 'Basic Instinct' - The Suspect Is Attractive, and May Be Fatal - NYTimes.com FILM; 'Basic Instinct': The Suspect Is Attractive, and May Be Fatal By BERNARD WEINRAUB Published: March 15, 1992 HOLLYWOOD— In the 1987 film "Fatal Attraction," Michael Douglas played a happily married man who has a weekend fling with a woman who turns out to be psychopathic and violent. If "Fatal Attraction" served as a metaphor for the 1980's, with its theme of the dangers of extramarital sex and one-night stands, then "Basic Instinct," to be released Friday, is a movie of the 1990's. Its underlying theme seems to be the dangers of sex, period. In the new film, a troubled San Francisco police detective, played by Mr. Douglas, investigates the savage murder of a onetime rock star.

The evidence: a blood-soaked ice pick, a woman's white scarf tied to the bedpost and the residue of sex. The detective embarks on a sensual, violent journey in which he confronts Catherine Tramell, an alluring suspect, played by Sharon Stone, who keeps ice picks around the house, writes books about fictional murders that are too true for comfort, and seduces women as well as men, including the detective, Nick Curran. Every time Nick (Mr. Douglas) rolls into bed with Catherine, the threat of death by ice pick looms. But the provocative author is not the only suspect. "The script, the movie, is open to interpretation," says Mr. Douglas of "Basic Instinct," his most erotic and controversial film since "Fatal Attraction." He says that in appearing in the film, produced by Carolco Pictures, he wanted "to do a more dangerous, sexy thriller" than he has done since that hit. "I still haven't resolved the message of this film in my mind," he went on. "I swear I haven't. Some of it has to do with redemption." Choosing his words carefully, he adds: "There does seem to be a chord here between sex, violence and death." Ms.

Stone agrees. "Certainly this is a time when people have a lot of fear about sex, and the film brings up that issue," she says. "But to me, this is really a very dark and twisted love story. The character is, let's face it, kind of loony tunes. She's very intense, very, very controlling. But it's also a thriller, a two-box-of-popcorn movie." Few recent movies have stirred as much discussion before opening as the $30 million-plus "Basic Instinct." Carolco hopes that the film will be so successful that it will ease the financial distress that has led the company to restructure. The script, by Joe Eszterhas, sold for a record $3 million in a transaction that set Hollywood buzzing, even in the easy-money days before the recession. During filming, gay demonstrators in San Francisco protested what they saw as the movie's treatment of lesbians as crazy or murderous. Mr. Eszterhas engaged in public spats with the director, Paul Verhoeven, over what Mr. Eszterhas regarded as the director's insensitive interpretation of the script. The Dutch-born Mr.

Verhoeven established his reputation with action-filled or erotic films like "Soldier of Orange," "Turkish Delight," "Spetters" and "The Fourth Man" before coming to the United States to make the successful "Robocop" in 1987 and "Total Recall" in 1990. Adding to the controversy about "Basic Instinct" were its sex scenes. The Motion Picture Association of America wanted to give the steamy film an unusual and potentially financially crippling NC-17 rating (no moviegoers under 17 allowed). Alarmed, the film's distributor, Tri-Star, pressed the reluctant director to alter some scenes to win the movie an R rating. "Actually, I didn't have to cut many things, but I replaced things from different angles, made it a little more elliptical, a bit less direct," says Mr. Verhoeven. Some 35 to 40 seconds were cut from the movie; the original version will probably be shown in Europe. From his standpoint, sex was not the focus of the film. "I always thought the movie was about evil," Mr. Verhoeven says.

"I always thought that with an economy falling down, with the dangers of life all around you -- the danger of AIDS, the danger of crime -- people are more aware of the fact that evil is an existing, everyday factor in your life. But this is my intuition. I don't want to push it. As an artist, as a director, it's sometimes better not to be too clear with yourself about what you're doing. Otherwise you might be pushing too hard." But the sexual content of the film helped determine the choice of its female star. Ms. Stone, who played Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife in "Total Recall," was cast in "Basic Instinct" only after better-known actresses like Michelle Pfeiffer, Kim Basinger, Geena Davis, Ellen Barkin and Mariel Hemingway rejected her part, largely because it demanded so much nudity and sexual simulation. Ms. Stone and the director say that what intrigued them about the movie was the fact that the character of Catherine is, as Mr. Verhoeven says, "brilliant, powerful, in complete control, not a victim." Ms. Stone says, half-joking: "People who have seen the movie stand two feet away from me.

They speak to me in careful tones. They don't condescend to me at all anymore." The protests by gay activists that provoked so much publicity during filming are brushed aside with impatience by the two stars and the director. "I had no pressure from anybody, not from Carolco, not from Tri-Star, not from anybody to change anything about the so-called gay issue," says Mr. Verhoeven. "I did it the way I wanted. I was, you might say, politically correct. The gay characters are positive. And the reaction is totally unwarranted. Have they seen the film? No. They read the script. They read the script like fundamentalists read the Bible. They could not visualize the film." Analyzing the film, Mr. Douglas says: " 'Fatal Attraction' was a picture close to home for a lot of people because you could identify with those characters. It was a reality tale, while 'Basic Instinct' is like a detective novel that people like to read in the privacy of their homes. It's almost Gothic. It's certainly more dramatic. And the real question here is: is anybody really worthy of redemption?" Mr. Verhoeven says he finds the themes of "Basic Instinct" elusive.

He wanted to make a classic suspense film, in the Hitchcock mode (the movie has visual references to "Vertigo" and "Rear Window"), but with a 1990's update. "In traditional films," the director says, "the killer lurks in a house and the victim walks into the kitchen, turns on the radio, makes coffee, opens a book, gets comfortable -- and then the killer strikes. In this film, the killer hides -- but on the bed. The situation is the same, but the two people are facing each other in bed, not the kitchen." Photo: Michael Douglas in "Basic Instinct" -- The attraction: it was "a dangerous, sexy thriller." (Tri-Star Pictures) Amazon.com: Basic Instinct: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn: Amazon Digital Services LLC By librich on August 11, 2014 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase Where most of the attempts to reinvent film noir fail, this film succeeds. The concept of transgression is translated into a modernized setting in a way that embraces film noir values, but at the same time feels utterly non-derivative.

Much of the plotting and dialogue is wonderfully complex and subtle, and Verhoeven gives the whole thing a uniquely perverse spin. The music is worth a viewing by itself, as it is stunningly effective. In a film like this, you don't expect a score so lush and romantic, but it works. The film has perhaps two knocks. It is, when all is said and done, a whodunit, and carries all the negatives of that genre, the worst of which is the plethora of hints dropped to implicate this character or that. The other knock is more serious. There is a giant hole in the story which becomes apparent at the very end. From the get-go, Trammel tells Nick that he (the detective in her story) is going to fall in love with the wrong woman and she's going to kill him. And of course the ice-pick revelation at the very end of the film is meant to confirm that. But none of this works. Trammel has spent years orchestrating the perfect crime, committing a string of murders and drawing a net around Garner/Hoberman to implicate the psychologist and put herself in the clear.

Having succeeded with all of that, Trammel cannot kill Nick at the end--especially not with an icepick. That would blow the whole thing. As cute as the ending is, it makes no sense whatever. Irrespective of that, BI is a great achievement and worth many viewings. By benjamin bannister TOP 500 REVIEWER on July 16, 2016 Format: Amazon Video Verified Purchase I love this movie. It feels like Paul Verhoeven studied his Hitchcock and brought a team of very talented filmmakers together to make the ultimate Hitchcockian inspired sex thriller. — THE WRITING — At the time of its release, Joe Eszterhas' script prompted a bidding war that would make him the highest paid screenwriter at the time. White some may mock the trashy quality of it, you have to admit it's very enjoyable trashy writing, with a few memorable quotes to fill your life with. — THE ACTING — Sharon Stone was born to play Catherine Tramell. It was meant to be. The beautiful, blonde, seductress, who's rich, smart, and knows exactly how to work people. Instant iconic character. Everyone else is perfectly fine in their roles.

— THE CINEMATOGRAPHY — Jan de Bont, who would go on to make 'Speed' and 'Twister' was the cinematographer for this film. And boy does that man know how to frame and move a camera around. Every shot is done with a purpose, you see what you're supposed to see, you are shown what is supposed to be revealed, and everything is framed beautifully. — THE LOCATIONS — Based in San Francisco, the film actually shows us some of the most beautiful locations there. I recently took a trip to San Francisco, and I made sure to stop at some of the same filming locales (I got exact addresses)[see photos]. Whoever did the location scouting picked some of the most gorgeous views of the city and around the city. — THE MUSIC — The music is perfect for this movie, and on its own. Jerry Goldsmith was pushed very hard by the director, and what he's created here is worthy of his nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Read more › Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote.

Please try again By HAPPYWOLF on March 27, 2015 Format: DVD Verified Purchase Basic Instinct established Ms. Sharon Stone as an actress with talent beyond the explicit nudity found in this unrated version. Ms. Stone then in her 30's exudes sensuality, power & beauty well combined to play Catherine Tramell, a writer of crime novels. The crimes then enacted by a serial killer/killers on the loose. Who really commited the crimes??? One of my favorite scenes in the movie, when detective Nick Curran (Mr. Michael Douglas) follows Catherine in his car around the streets of San Francisco where the story takes place, there's no dialog for about 10 minutes, only the outstanding soundtrack by Mr. Jerry Goldsmith, A HOMAGE TO Mr. HITCHCOCK's CLASSIC VERTIGO, Ms. STONE DONE IN A HAIRSTYLE AS Ms. KIM NOVAK!!!!! PURE GENIUS FROM DIRECTOR Mr. PAUL VERHOEVEN!!!!! You have to applaud the frankness, near explicit sexuality, controversy & graphic violence in a movie that pushes the envelope in presenting a story so raw and being able to emerge as a winner!!!!

But then again,it is the combination of a great thrilling excellent acting & direction that creates this neo-noir masterpiece. Forget new movies like Fifty Shades of Whatever that don't have the guts to present sexuality as raw as Basic Instinct does and in turn make a SUPERSTAR OUT OF BEATIFUL Ms. STONE!!!!! THE MOVIE SIMPLY BELONGS TO HER!!!!! Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By g on May 12, 2014 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase THE MOVIE--- If you like who dun its with plenty of twists and turns this movie's 4 you. If you don't like some nudity and graphic violence get the regular version not the uncut version... Although the movie was shot aprox 20 yrs ago thankfully it does not feel particularly dated..... Sure Micahel Douglas' 5.0 mustang looks a little older but NOT enough too date the movie much. Its not like people have 70s/80s hairsyles Etc.

....The movie has some gourgeous scenery of the SanFrancisco Bay area and their are many little plot developments, nuiances and undercurrents involved to draw the viewer in. I give it a 7.5 - 8 ......THE BLUE RAY--I have no measuring equipment and suggest you sift through the other reviews to find someone who has dissected and reported on the various qualitative aspects of the Blu Ray.....I will say - I personally thought the quality was good and found no negative issues with it. Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Catherine Tramell | LGBT Info | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit A brilliant, charismatic sociopath, she manipulates everyone around her, largely for her own amusement. It also seems that she enjoys killing people. She was born in 1961, although her age appears to be reconnected in Basic Instinct 2, as the official movie website stated she was 38 in 2006.

The first film establishes that her parents were killed in a boating accident in 1979, leaving her with $110 million. It is implied that she killed them, because it happened exactly like one of her novels, though she states that the book was written several years after the event. She double-majored in psychology and literature at UC, Berkeley, graduating magna cum laude in 1983, and quickly made millions by writing best-selling crime novels. Tramell, an open bisexual , has many short-lived, empty affairs with people of both sexes, ending when she discards them. She was engaged, however, to a middleweight boxer named Manuel 'Manny' Vásquez, who was killed in 1984 during a prizefight in Atlantic City. Victims An asterisk indicates that the crime was not for certain committed by Tramell. This table contains the list of the characters that she killed before, during or immediately after Basic Instinct I. Name She was tired of him? Ice pick? There were two ways to understand that ending: she retires and stops her criminal career, or she only waits for a good moment to kill Nick.

Incidentally, Nick Curran has disappeared by the second movie and, like Dr. Chilton of The Silence of the Lambs, we never see his murder, but his death is more than probable. Even Sharon Stone, during an interview in Spain, said that "poor Nick is dead," implying with a swift stabbing motion that an ice pick was indeed used. However, it is also possible that Elizabeth Gardner killed Gus and Curran's superior, since she was in love with Nick and possibly with Catherine and she wanted revenge, and that Catherine just killed Nick. During the film, she also intimates that she killed her parents and her college counselor. In the films Edit In the first film, Tramell was the suspect in the murder of her sometime boyfriend, Johnny Boz, which bore an almost identical resemblance to events in her latest book, Love Hurts, written under the pen name of Catherine Woolf.

She charmed — and ultimately bedded — Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who was investigating the case, and "proved" her innocence, as the apparent murderer was revealed to be Curran's psychologist and lover Doctor Elisabeth 'Beth' Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), who was revealed to be Tramell's lover in college, when Garner's name was Lisa Hoberman. The ending is ultimately ambiguous, leading to many interpretations over who was truly the murderer. Nonetheless, an ice pick is seen under Tramell's bed at the end of the movie, implying she was the true murderer. This is the most (and once) accepted version of the ending. Director Paul Verhoeven, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, and even Sharon Stone have said that Catherine was the killer. In the sequel, Basic Instinct 2, it is revealed that Tramell ultimately escapes justice when her psychiatrist gives insufficient evidence at court. The police then proceed to investigate her following several more murders. In the end, she escapes justice once again when the "real murderer" Dr. Glass (David Morrissey), is apprehended for having shot the lead detective, Roy Washburn (David Thewlis), in the line of duty.

An alternative "interpretation" of the ending is that Catherine is not really the killer after all, but that she simply compelled Dr. Glass to follow his own 'basic instincts', for which a motive is provided for all of the murders, via flashback. However, Catherine invites the viewer to realize that her version of events may indeed be a work of fiction, leading us to believe that perhaps she really is the killer. Psychological diagnosis Edit In Basic Instinct 2, Tramell is diagnosed by Dr. Michael Glass as possessing a "risk addiction." He explains, "Inside I believe she vacillates between a feeling of god-like omnipotence and a sense that she simply doesn't exist, which of course is intolerable. I believe Ms. Tramell's behavior is driven by what we might call a risk addiction. A compulsive need to prove to herself that she can take risks and survive dangers that other people can't. Especially the subsequent encounters with the police, the powers that be. The greater the risk, the greater the proof of her omnipotence. Her existence really. All addiction is progressive, the addict will always need to take greater and greater risks.

I suspect the only limit for her would be her own death." Michael Douglas as Detective Nick Curran prev next Michael Douglas as Detective Nick Curran This isn’t the first time Michael Douglas has seen the seedy side of San Francisco. He’s played a cop before, Inspector Steve Keller in The Streets of San Francisco . Twenty years later he’s Detective Nick Curran, a.k.a. “Shooter”—a name he earned when he accidentally gunned down two tourists while undercover and high on cocaine. Curran, we discover, is a liar as well as a murderer. But they don’t come any more appealing than Douglas. His greatest strength as a detective is that he is also a criminal, and identifies readily with his suspect, Catherine Tramell. He explains to his partner Gus, “I’m not afraid of her.” And he certainly couldn’t be, considering those steamy scenes where he almost begs to be ice-picked. Somebody has a death wish…

Question: In the 1991 film 'Basic Instinct', who played Detective Nick Curran?
Answer: Michael Douglas